Royal Extermination
by LauraFirebender
Summary: After an evening together with his family, Zuko planned to retribute them for the time he spends away. But an odd event makes him start to dismantel a potential threat that is building up in Caldera City.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is the real deal, I had to get this story out of my head xD  
Okay, you need to know that my fanfic "An evening together" is the prequel of this one. Something like a prologue... so if you want to know what happened in the last events of the previous evening of this story feel free to read it ^^.That being said...  
Enjoy!**

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**The First Move**

Zuko opened his eyes slowly, the first beams of sun energy already calling his firebender blood and stripping him of slumber.  
Mai was still sleeping; he could feel her soft breathe against his neck. Their legs were tangled and his arm was lying around her waist protectively.  
He smiled remembering the last events of the previous evening, then proceeded to place gentle kisses on the crown of her head that slowly brought her back to consciousness.  
She opened her eyes and looked up at him.  
"Hey…" She said drowsy.  
"Hi… " He said widening his smile.  
She yawned and stretched in the bed trying to wear off sleepiness. Zuko took the opportunity to drink her in again. He knew he had to get off the bed in some more minutes, and this would probably be his last chance to see her naked body in what could be days. When she stopped stretching he lifted her chin and kissed her with such tenderness it overwhelmed her.  
"You look so beautiful in the mornings."  
Mai grinned.  
"Yeah, because the rest of the day I'm a mess aren't I?"  
Zuko chuckled at her usual sarcasm, then his face became serious and he rested his forehead against hers, looking directly to her eyes.  
"I love you." He murmured.  
"Well look who woke up romantic today." She said teasingly.  
Zuko smiled again, looking down. Mai cupped his cheek and caressed it gently, bringing her lips towards his. They kissed again slowly, savoring the moment, imprinting the other one's taste and scent for the rest of the day.  
A shy knock on the door broke their stupor.  
"They can't be serious." Mai said annoyed.  
"It has to be Aiko." No one ever bothered them in the Firelord's Bedchamber, no one except their daughter. But Aiko didn't used to knock…  
"Fi…Firelord Zuko? A…Are you awake?" It was a young female voice, though definitely not Aiko's.  
Mai groaned and scowled at the door, but Zuko began to feel uneasy. A bad feeling was starting to grow inside him, there had to be an important reason for someone to disturb the Firelord so early in the morning and he didn't think it was to bring him good news.  
"Fi…Firelord?" The voice repeated, fear was palpable in it.  
"I'm awake," He said gruffly while getting out of the blankets. "Wait a minute."  
He opened his wardrobe and dressed in the uncomfortable Firelord's robes, then headed to the bathroom and splashed his face with water. When he looked back at the mirror he found Mai's face looking at him, she was already dressed in a red and gold gown, an elegant piece yet comfortable.  
"You didn't have to get up." Zuko reproached, Mai could continue to sleep peacefully in their bed. He hated when she was also disrupted by his duty.

"They wouldn't have called upon our door if it wasn't really important" Mai said approaching him with his Firelord headpiece. "I want to be there." Zuko nodded and let Mai comb his hair into a topknot. When they were both ready Zuko opened the door.  
"You…your majesty." The woman said bowing; she was a new young servant Zuko had seen few times around the palace. "I… I'm sorry to interrupt you, but… they sent me… for you…" The servant shook her head fervently. "I mean, the Fire Sages need you urgently, and…. They thought it would be better not to wait to inform you of what has… happened." She seemed terrified, and Zuko's heart began to hammer. He and Mai looked at each other and she tried to reassure him holding his hand.  
"We will go immediately." He said firmly, though Mai could sense his worry. "Take us where the Fire Sages are."  
It wasn't a long walk to the entrance of the Throne Room but something in the atmosphere made every step heavier. Every time they encountered a servant they would give them numerous of odd looks; some of them stared at Zuko with curiosity, others would hide their smiles at Zuko's gaze, but none of them were sad or afraid. What was going on?  
The Sages were debating between them when the Royal Couple reached them, at the sight of them they all bowed.  
"Firelord Zuko, Lady Mai." The High Sage greeted them.  
"What is the reason for your visit?" Zuko was tired of all the mystery. He wanted them to tell him immediately what was this all about.  
They all looked at each other, then nodded.  
"We came to inform you that former Firelord Ozai has passed away."  
Zuko blinked thrice.  
"We believe he was poisoned."


	2. Irreperable

**So here is the next chapter! to whoever is reading this xD I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it :D  
I think next chapter will be longer... **

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**Irreparable**

"H-How...?" Zuko cleared his throat. He paused for a moment before continuing. So many questions were in his mind, he didn't know where to start. "What makes you think he was poisoned?"  
"As you may remember, Firelord Zuko, the doctors and Fire healers had informed us that Ozai had been very sick; the doctors believed it was a natural illness but the Fire Healers have examined the body and they have found something strange. They do not believe he died of natural causes." The High Sage explained.  
"Do you have any suspects?" Mai asked coldly.  
"The doctors, the guards… anyone who has made any contact with Ozai in his cell is considered a suspect."  
Anger started to build up inside Zuko, an inexplicable anger that awakened his inner fire and made him tighten Mai's grip. As if to hold onto something to prevent himself of exploding.  
"They will be brought to me, all of them. Whoever Ozai had been, or what he had done, he was _my_ prisoner! And whoever killed him has committed treason." He commanded harshly.  
The Fire Sages agreed with him, and Zuko commanded his servants to look for everyone they mentioned, then he stormed to the Throne Room with Mai behind following. She could see his rage radiating from him as he walked up the stairs to the throne.  
"Zuko…" She tried to reach him.  
He roughly threw a fire ball to the oil that separated the throne from the rest of the people and suddenly they were surrounded by fire.  
"Zuko."  
The flames rose higher.  
"ZUKO!"  
He finally turned his head; it wasn't common of her to shout.  
His jaw and hands were clenched, but his look was absent and for once she didn't fully understand what he was thinking. Ozai's death had taken both of them by surprise, but it wasn't a horrid event and someone wanting to poison him wasn't completely unthinkable.  
" I… I'm sorry; I can't understand why I'm so angry either…" Her expression must have given away her confusion. "There had been attempts to kill him before, and I wasn't surprised, I just doubled the guards." He sighed and looked at the throne. "It was going to happen someday… 17 years are not enough for everyone to forget everything he did…" He was talking mostly to himself now; his voice was barely audible so Mai moved closer, placing a soothing hand in his back, unsure on how else to comfort him. "He never got to meet Aiko, did he?"  
"No, I wouldn't have allowed it." She answered, and her expression turned black. The coldness in her voice made Zuko look at her again. They didn't mention Ozai much when he was alive but when they did Mai's face was always perfectly expressionless, it betrayed no scorn, contempt or hatred.  
"There is something I never told you…" Mai said looking down slightly ashamed. "…about him."  
Zuko's face changed from curious to worried. Why would Mai hide him something about his father?  
"When I was pregnant, I received a request from him by some servant asking me to visit him…

It had been a nice day in the Fire Nation palace when it had happened; since it had been known she was pregnant every servant was eager to please her needs, and although their harassment had come to annoy her, the constant presence and cares from Zuko compensated everything. But she had somehow been alone when a servant had come telling her that the prisoner Ozai had asked for a meeting with her alone and begging for forgiveness if the request made her uncomfortable. She accepted out of curiosity.  
She had never entered the Prison Tower before; the corridors were illuminated by some torches that gave some warm to the stone fortification, but the caged cells were poorly illuminated and cold.  
Or at least Ozai's cell was. She hadn't gone with guards; she had nothing to fear about the ex-firebender now.  
"So the new Firelady has given me the honor to visit me." He spoke in a dead voice.  
Ozai was leaning against the wall at the right corner of the cell. He was wearing the dark red robes of the prisoners, most of his hair had gone white and his face was wrinkled.  
"Apparently she does." She replied with her usual coldness.  
"So you are the lady Zuko choose to impregnate, I thought he at least had some taste." He said, scanning her from head to toe.  
Mai's expression did not flinched one bit.  
"If you called me to insult me, I have better things to do." She exclaimed in a bored tone and intended to leave.  
"No, I asked to meet you because I have a request to make, and his Majesty is too busy to visit a miserly prisoner."  
"And you think offending me is the best is the best way to ask for something?" She inquired dryly.  
He ignored her comment.  
"Tell Zuko I want to see the heir if he or she is born." He said almost demanding.  
"If?..." She arched an eyebrow.  
He smirked.  
"With a father as weak as Zuko, don't be surprised if the baby dies in your belly."  
The venom in the look Mai gave him could match Ozai's. They stood quiet for a moment.  
"It must enrage you a lot that "someone so weak" put you in here…" Mai said in a dark almost mocking tone while heading to the door. "If you thought you could persuade me by intimidating me, I advise you to think about your current position." When she was out she gave one last look to the former Firelord. "I will make sure that you never meet my baby."

And she had shut the door.

"… I should have told you, I know, but I didn't and I don't know why." Mai confessed after finishing her tale, she had been looking at the black tiled lower floor until she finally met Zuko's gaze. He was shocked. He was staring at her wide-eyed and his mouth was slightly open. He tried to speak, but instead he snapped his mouth shut, he gulped and then tried again.  
"I know." Zuko assured looking down and sighing. "You feared I would fulfill his wish."  
Mai was about to say something when the red curtains flew open. The Fire Sages had returned with a numerous group of people from which Zuko could recognize some guards, the Fire Healers, a few doctors and some servants.  
The Firelord sat in his throne and his lady sat next to him, both imposing behind the wall of fire.  
"Your Grace, these are all the people that could have made direct or indirect contact with the former Firelord." A known servant announced bowing.  
"I will interrogate each of them, one by one." Zuko announced back, trying not to think about Mai's tale and how irreparable his father and his relationship with him had been.


End file.
